Tandems for kids

[bhoot]

I've never tried it, but theoretically Great Western permit tandems on some of their trains (including those that go near Glastonbury). With the short wheelbase of the Circe there shouldn't be a practical problem, but you may need to argue your case. Book ahead, anyway!

We have achieved tandem carriage on GW a few times - and our tandem is quite long. It's not super easy as you really need to grab two slots at one or other end of the rack (think the door side rather than the partition is easiest) so the bike can go between them. It's not so bad going from London when you (just) need to make sure you get to the cycle carriage as soon as the train is on the board, but it's very stressful coming the other way if you get on at an intermediate station and you don't know which 4 slots may already be taken.
Yes you must book 2 places.
Anglia to Norwich with guards van is way easier (but no use if you want to go to Glastonbury)

[12sprocket]

Hey Juliet,

I can thoroughly recommend the Thorn Voyager childback variants. Great fun to ride but highly dependable workhorses, mega stable even when junior suddenly starts gesticulating wildly at something in a field.
Have a look at St John Street Cycles which I think is Robin Thorn's outlet. If you like the sound of them, but don't fancy paying "new", we have two of them of different sizing & are looking to move them on as the bairns have graduated permanently to solos & garage space is always under pressure.  We are near Wantage, Oxfordshire if that's within range for a test ride, or I can provide photos & pedigrees of our two machines....

[madcow]

Hey Juliet,

I can thoroughly recommend the Thorn Voyager childback variants. Great fun to ride but highly dependable workhorses, mega stable even when junior suddenly starts gesticulating wildly at something in a field.
Have a look at St John Street Cycles which I think is Robin Thorn's outlet. If you like the sound of them, but don't fancy paying "new", we have two of them of different sizing & are looking to move them on as the bairns have graduated permanently to solos & garage space is always under pressure.  We are near Wantage, Oxfordshire if that's within range for a test ride, or I can provide photos & pedigrees of our two machines....

+1 Thorn Voyagers are pretty much bombproof. That makes them a tad heavy but if you keep the wheels in good order, they bowl along quite nicely.
We never tried a trailgator or similar contraption, in fact I don't think anyone in our group of  half a dozen tandem families did.
They just look wrong.
The tandem lets them build up strength until they are ready to ride solo. Our son soon told us that he was sick of looking at dad's backside and was ready to ride a solo when he was around 9 years old. His first proper bike was a small Thorn Sherpa and he
soon got used to 30 or 40 miles day trips. Children are tougher than you think.
We only let them ride solo when they could understand traffic, look behind , signal  and follow direction from us.

[clarion]

The Little Duck is now officially Big Enough To Stoke!

[hellymedic]

 
Little Duck looked lovely on Faceache!

[barakta]

 

[juliet]

We have a Circe! So far great though have only gone up & down the road.

But! I can't fit the front mudguard bolting on at top, fine. Plastic black whatsits are already installed at bottom of forks. It *looks* like one just rams the single piece of wire each side into the relevant little black plastic whatsit but I can't do it. Is this a "just shove harder" problem or a "do something else you muppet" problem?

[Butterfly]

On mine it seems to fit to the top of the bracket. I can photograph it and post on Facebook if you haven't managed it yet?

And yay!

[juliet]

It turns out that it just needed a Good Shove, which I achieved on Sunday.

We rode up to playgroup yesterday so proper on-road (on busy road at that; Tower Bridge etc) riding, and went very well. Faster and comfier (for me anyway...) than my bike + bike seat now that L is so big; and L himself seemed very pleased with all his pedalling. Our foot straps haven't arrived yet but he didn't lose the pedals at all yesterday anyway.

[Butterfly]

Brilliant!

[CrinklyLion]

Tandems are fab, aren't they?